William h



guitar grates gaunt @ffirr.

IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING WOOD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

dip firlgrhul marsh 1min flgrst Eaters fitted mu mating out of its same.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MAY, of Bridgeport, in the county ofFairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and improvedMode of Increasing the sonorous Quality of Wood for the Sounding-Boardsof Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved mode of preparing Wood, toincrease its sonorous quality, to be employed for sounding-boards andother parts of piano-fortes, violins, and other musical instruments. Theconstituent elements and peculiar structure of wood, which ive it itssonorous quality, are only partially understood and so far explained asto govern in the selection 0 different kinds of wood for sounding-boardsot' piano-fortes, theshclls of violins, and other parts of variousmusical instruments, whose tone depends on vibration, while thoseconditions in the composition and natureof wood, which impart the higherand nicer qualities of tone, have remained obscured in mystery anduncertainty.

Many efforts have been made to improve the tone of sounding-boards, andthe common practice is to kiln dry them. In some cases, hardening of thefibre of the wood, by subjecting it to longcontinued extreme heat, hasbeen resorted to, and this treatment renders the wood very powerful anddelicate in vibration, and, consequently, highly sonorous for a shorttime, but it is found that this advantageous effect is only temporary,and that the hardened fibre soon relaxes, and loses its power ofdelicate vibration and its superior sonorous quality.

By my improved method of treatment of wood for sounding-boards and otherparts of piano-fortes, and other instruments, the wood is raised to thehighest pitch of sonorous quality, and possesses a power of vibrationfar superior to any wood previously known, and these results of myimproved treatment are unchangeable and permanent.

The method of treament I pursue is, to take the sounding-boards, orother parts of piano-fortes, and other musical instruments, after theyhave been reduced nearly or quite to the required shape and thickness,and submerge them in a tank of chamber-lye or urine, in which they areallowed to remain undisturbed for a month or longer, until they arethoroughly soaked and impregnated with the salts in the urine, afterwhich the boards are taken out and slowly dried in a kiln or otherwise,until every particle of moisture is dispelled. They are then ready foruse, and may be dressed in the usual way, to be adapted to theinstrument in which they are employed. 7

It is remarkable, in regard to the effect of this treatment of wood,that the fibre does not become hardened, as in the case of subjection toextreme heat, but receives a temper or elastic quality, which gives awonderful degree of vibratory power, which is demonstrated by the sampleof a piano-forte sounding-board so treated,

compared with a similar board, of the same wood, subjected only to theordinary kiln-drying process.

Instead of soaking the wood of sounding-boards, as described, in urine,in atank, the wood may be charged, by static pressure or otherwise, withthe urine of man or other animals, or it may be treated with a solutionof chemical ingredients having an equivalent cfiect on the fibre.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The improved'mode of treating wood, to increase its vibratory power andsonorous quality, for application to the sounding-boards and other partsof piano-forties, and other musical instruments, or an equivalentprocess, substantially as herein described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 7th day ofJune, 1867.

WM. H. MAY.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MeNAMARA, ALEX. F. Ronnnrs.

